ON BARANGAYS Barangay elections are coming. Many are positioning already trying to get the blessings of political parties even as they are prohibited by law to have any partisan relationships in support for their bid. I have nothing against barangays as the lowest rung of governance if the purpose is to empower the grassroots officials to serve the people. The problem is the barangays function more as a "structure of control in the service of of higher authority than organs of self-government in the service of the local community". They are totally absorbed by the corrupt political system, more as "vote-getting machines and organs of political patronage". As basic units of government, they should be allowed more autonomy of control along the basic tenets of subsidiarity. Thus, any support by major political parties will be seen as manipulation and would validate the general observation that barangays operate as just another "layer of rent-seekers in a corrupt system".
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 09:00:34 +0000
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